First visit to Italy May 2-17, 2014. So many choices and beautiful areas to visit. Please help.

"How do we find safe clean centrally located hotels without being familiar with areas?" You can buy an excellent guidebook or two. One good guidebook series is from Rick Steves. Perhaps you've heard of him? :-)

That pretty much answers your other questions as well.

Happy travels.

The RS book is good for first-time visitors. You can do everything you wrote about using public transportation. Hotels can help you book wine/food tours if you don't find something you like in the book.

I would break out your trip with flight into Venice, 3 nights there, four or five nights in Florence with daytrips to wine country and hill towns (or rent a car and stay outside of Florence for a couple of nights), a night in Assisi or Orvieto, then go to the Amalfi Coast for a couple of nights and end in Rome (fly out from Rome).

Happy Birthday!

Here is one more suggestion:

Split your nights in Venice, Florence (more days here for 2-3 day trips), one of these Umbrian hill towns: Perugia or Assissi or Orvieto (If you pick Assissi or Perugia, a 20 minute train run links the two, so both can be visited together), Sorrento (need 2 full days, Amalfi coast itself is a full day), and Rome.

So, at minimum: 2 nights Venice - train - 4 nights Florence - train - 2 nights (P, A or O) - train - 3 nights Sorrento - train - 3 nights Rome.

Zoe - we're kinda on the same wavelength and you're a faster typist! LOL!

Thank you all. And Yes I love RS, watch his shows and ordered his books and dvids. Just wanted to hear from others who have been in the meantime. Also, should I even consider trying to put itinerary together myself or go with travel agent? Tnx again!

I would suggest that you maybe consult a travel agent when shopping for airfare, and that you do the rest yourself. Ask for an open-jaw flight into Venice and out of Rome (or Naples). Getting an idea of your flights is the first step.

Start with nailing your dates and your itinerary, then come back here and ask for specific recommendations, i.e.: "4 nights in Florence, place to stay". Also work out what your daily budget is and say so when you post your question. Scrounge around this website for ideas and do pay attention to the recommendations in RS' latest Italy book.

Have fun planning and don't hesitate to ask for advice -- we're not shy and we'll give you honest feedback as your planning evolves. ;-)

When exactly were you hoping to go? What is your total trip budget, including the international flights?

How many days on the ground in Italy do you have? Do you arrive in Italy on May 2 or on May 3? And when do you depart?

You probably don't have enough time to visit all the places you mentioned, in just 2 weeks. Venice, Florence, and Rome can fill up all your time easily (3 days in Venice, 4 in Florence, and a week in Rome). You could squeeze in a day trip from Florence and one or two from Rome.

For hotel advice, find some places either in guidebooks or through word of mouth, and then go to TripAdvisor for hotel reviews. Type in the name of the hotel and you can read many reviews starting in reverse chronological order (newest first).

Study maps of each city you'll stay in to familiarize yourself with the layout, and use Google Maps to find hotel locations.

Thank you everyone. I appreciate all your input. I apologize for not being clearer. I will be traveling from USA to Milan for 10 days with a friend 4/23-5/2, Then May 2 I meet my husband in Venice and fly back to USA from Rome May 17. We hadn't figured budget out since we are not sure what to expect to have to pay for good hotels. I don't need luxury but definitely clean, safe, comfortable. Perhaps splurge where views are worth the upgrade. Also, would appreciate places to find best pizza, gelato and coffee in different cities. I'll be sure to check RS guidebook for suggestions but would love to hear where others have tried and loved. ;-). (Hubby doesn't care for pasta, I on the other hand enjoy good food and can't wait). Has anyone done the walking tours in the different cities? There seem to be so many to choose from. Tnx again.

• Venice: May 3-6 (3 nights)
• Florence OR SIena: May 6-10 (4 nights)
• Sorrento: May 10-13 (3 nights)
• Rome: May 13-17 (4 nights)

Venice 3 nights so you can recover from travel and actually have time to experience a little of the city.

From Florence or Siena take a day tour with Tours by Roberto. You've probably seen him on Rick's show. This is an excellent way to see rural Tuscany and enjoy some wine and history. If you stay in Siena you can day trip to Florence, and vice versa. Avoids an unnecessary change of hotels. FWIW Rick Steve's audio tours are fantastic for Florence.

Sorrento could use more than 3 nights, but if you really want to see the area, go. You'll only have 2 full days so skip (IMHO) the Blue Grotto in favor of Pompeii and a trip by bus down to Amalfi Town, stopping in Positano or maybe going up to Ravello. Treat yourself to a guide for Pompeii. We liked Gaetano Manfredi, recommended in Rick's book.

Rome - 4 nights = 3 full days will barely scratch the surface. Again, Rick's audio guides are great for many sites (St. Peter's Basilica), but I like to recommend a private guide for the Colosseo/Palatino/Foro Romano as it is complicated. I've been very happy with Tony Polzer and also with Sonia Tavoletta, [email protected] . Francesca Caruso is wonderful, but probably booked already.

It is getting late for planning a May trip. You need to book your lodging ASAP. I really like Booking.com. It is efficient and offers a variety of options and prices. Be aware they do not represent the entire inventory of every hotel, but it is (IMHO) very arduous to try one hotel at a time only to be rebuffed. Booking.com will only show what they have available, but the rooms will be there for you and you won't spend three weeks contacting places one at a time waiting for responses. We have been VERY happy with Booking.com for about a dozen reservations so far in Italy. Stay as centrally as possible. In Rome, in addition to the classic Piazza Navona/Campo dei Fiori/Pantheon areas, don't overlook Prati, near the Vatican. Great neighborhood well connected to the rest of Rome by Metro and bus, and also walkable to the historic center.

Happy Birthday-to-be and enjoy!

Just saw your last post about being in Milan for 10 days prior. Lucky you! So jetlag won't be a problem for you, just your dh. We love Venice. I'd add your extra night, May 2, there. The first time we went to Venice, we spent 4 nights upon arrival in Italy and have been back for 15 nights MORE since then.

The walking tours everywhere are good. Rick lays out some nice routes. We also like the book "24 Great Walks in Venice" and the companion book "24 Great Walks in Rome." Have used them both extensively for self-touring. These cities all demand a lot of walking. Be sure you break in a good pair of sturdy walking shoes before you leave the U.S.

Last trip to Italy, we booked all of our rooms using RS guide book, looking at the $$$ options. Given a choice of rooms, I paid for a larger room and a room with a view. Always a view! And centrally located. If you want to know where we stayed in Venice, Orvieto, Rome, and Sorrento, let me know and I'll PM you back.

Also, even if you don't stay at RS recommended hotels, the locations are spot on. Then you trip advisor to confirm you aren't in a dump.

RS audio tours. I've done them all and enjoyed all. Do be sure to print out the accompanying maps.

Venice I like to listen to the RS tour on the vaporetto both daytime and after dark. The Secret Itineraries tour at the Doge's Palace is very interesting, needs to be booked in advance.

Tuscany I say this all the time. If you love Renaissance art and architecture, 3 full days in Florence is a minimum. If not, you can see the highlights in one day. If not, Siena is a better base. If you want to roam Tuscany, stay for a few days in an agriturismo, and rent a car. There are lots of day tours to choose from, including wine tasting. It's pretty easy to see the larger towns by bus.

Amalfi Coast I don't think you have enough time in 2 weeks to stay there. It will take the better part of a day to get from Tuscany to the AC and then another half-day to get back to Rome. You could spend a night or two in Naples, see the Archaeological Museum (a wow) and Pompeii. Or you could take a day trip from Rome to Pompeii, though it will be a long one.

To find accommodations, I use Trip Advisor to sort through the possibilities and narrow the search. I read the reviews carefully, paying attention to what matters to me (like location, noise factor), ignore reviews that are more than a couple of years old, especially if they are negative. Then plug in your dates and see what comes up - usually with booking.com, hotels.com or venere.com, there are short reviews and ratings. These are controlled and only from people who have stayed at the venue.

If your heart is set on visiting the Amalfi coast and Capri, you will need to fit in 3 nights in Sorrento - they are not really doable from Rome. It's OK to plan on not driving. Check Viator for a list of the day trips from Florence - there is a small group one that includes a visit to the vineyards of the Chianti.

I am making a very similar trip with my 24 year old daughter, same dates and I love the suggestions that have been made here for itinerary planning ideas. I originally wanted to spend some time in Cinque Terre as well but saw the post about the recent rock slide and wonder if this might be a bad time to go there? Curious if anyone knows anything more or has visited Cinque Terre recently.

What a wonderful gift! The RS audio tours are great for things like a ride down the Grand Canal in Venice, but I find that a well educated guide really enhances my appreciation for most sites. Context Travel has great walking tours in the places you mentioned, with a maximum of 6 people/group, which makes a huge difference in navigating crowded sites. The guides are the best I've ever encountered, and I've been really disappointed the few times I've used other companies in Italy (including companies that are highly recommended). I've used Context more than a dozen times in Italy, and I've also used them in other countries. Their website describes the philosophy/approach that drives their work.
If you don't have enough time to make it to Pompeii on this trip, Ostia Antica (the ancient port of Rome) is fascinating and an easy subway trip from Rome. And Orvieto *an Umbrian hill town) can easily be done as a really pleasant day trip from Rome with good food and wine opportunities, and beautiful art and cathedral (1 hr by train).
No need to drive. Trains are easy (and I can't cope with trains/buses at home). But do pack light; otherwise, the most challenging part of the trip can be getting lots of luggage on and off the train in the time available. You can save substantially by purchasing train tickets from home (about 90 days before the travel date), but they are nonrefundable/nonexchangable; so you lose flexibility. The DeutscheBahn website is the easiest to use for route/schedule planning, but you can't buy the tickets there. You then need to go to the italian train website to buy the tickets (or you can at buy full price when you arrive in Italy). Don't buy from Rail Europe; they only list some trains and add a hefty fee to the ticket price. If you go on the websites from home, select an English-speaking country other than the US; if you say you live in US, you automatically get sent to Rail Europe. There are two train companies: Trenitalia is the natl rail company and covers the country; the new, private Italo train company has limited routes and I've not used them, but it sounds like it can be a more comfy experience than Trenitalia.
Enjoy!

Thank you all so much! I have another request. I would love to treat my husband to horseback riding in Tuscany. Anyone have a particular place to recommend with beautiful area and perhaps an agriturismo to stay overnight? That's all he thinks he can handle of "rustic" abode ;-) Thank you you are all so gracious.

You can plan by yourself without an agent if you scour this site and use the guide books. Also, RS has a trip consulting service and it can be very helpful. You need to already have an idea of where you want to go, but thy can help with transportation, museum tickets, day tour guides, etc. It's really affordable too. If you go here: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning it gives you all of the particulars.

We are doing three weeks of Italy in September starting in Venice, Dolimites, Montalcino, Assisi, Ravello and finally Rome where we will fly home from.

Hi
what the others have said, and yes four night is Venice.
Try Tripadvisor for "horse riding in tuscany"

On my first trip, we took the train from Rome to Naples and the ferry to Capri. Hired a private boat and it was the highlight of our trip. Spending the day in the water, swimming in caves, the blue grotto, a little shopping and then train back to Rome. What a day!
This year we are flying into Venice, 2 nights in Domomites, 3 in Venice, 1 in San Marino, 5 nights in an Agriturismo near Greve, 2 nights in Florience, 3 nights in Rome. I agree, use Tripadvisor and read reviews. It's the best way to find a hotel in the best areas of the cities. Have fun!

Thank you everyone for your helpful recommendations.
I also want to try a nice agriturismo B&B in Tuscany . I was searching on line but would prefer word of mouth recommendations. Ciao!

Thank you Patrice, would you mind sharing which agriturismo near Greve you booked. Tnx

We are booked for Guardastelle right outside of San Gimignano with one night in Greve. My husband will be cycling for 5 days so I wanted to be someplace centrally located.

If you have gone, hope you had a wonderful time. I am looking forward to my last 2 months of planning before we leave!